Hard to say, but I agree that shooting from a different perspective is a great way to capture something fresh -- and shooting low is about the easiest. I heeded Brian Peterson's advice on this and began shooting low several years ago. Last summer, I even took it to the extreme and used his technique of lying on my back with my camera upside-down to get low enough for the shot I wanted. The sun was so bright I couldn't use the LCD screen. Thanks for the tip about texture, one of those things I learned and forgot. I'll pay more attention now.
Good point - interestingly, as a viewer, in many cases it's not obvious that the viewpoint is low as opposed to the camera being tilted down. It would be interesting to compare some shots of the same view with images taken at different heights. Also, would be interested to know if you are focus stacking these images to get sharpness throughout the depth or just using small apertures.
My favourite photography channel on TH-cam. I am not into a landscape photography to be honest, but the way Mark giving information is top-notch. No disturbing intros- straight to the subject. Maximum useful information per certain amount of time. Very clean english pronunciation which is attractive to the ear (especially for us - non-native english speakers). He paid so much attention even to the background (just look at those shelfs and lights and shadows behind him). Amazing approach. Thank you!
The power of a different perspective! We get so stuck at 'eye' level but whether we get down on the ground or just crouch down (as low as our knees will let us go :-) ) opens a whole new world. Love the foreground tips with a wide angle. I think of all the years of taking photos, with a crop sensor (Canon 70D) and not really understanding my wide angle wasn't really wide angle. Aargh. I'm looking forward to getting out and really exploring what I can do with a wide angle. loooow to the ground. Thank you
I started photographing about 5 years ago. I regularly go back to the old hard drives and it really shows how much I have improved but nothing compares to how much my game has changed since I found your channel. I had a vague idea of what composition but never really understood the concept of it, the rules of it. But your videos were an eye-opening for me, especially when you explain depth. Great video as always, Mark.
Hi Mark, I know how much I appreciated positive feedback and I think you really deserve some! I only discovered you recently, forgot your name but was so impressed by what I had seen that I searched for you for days before I rediscovered you. I started photography at the age of 9 with my dad’s Zeiss icon which did not have a light meter or focusing mechanism. I therefore had to judge/measure the distance, decide on a shutter speed and aperture. I could only afford one postcard size black and white film, with 6 exposures, per week. I therefore got to know the basics really well. I am now 77 years of age and have always been a keen photographer, as a university student I even operated as a professional photographer. Your presentation has been the best by a margin: I have learnt a lot from you and on the occasions that I don’t learn anything new, it reinforces principles and makes me think more analytically. Thank you! Willem von Willich (South Africa)
I love the way you lighted the room you're sitting in .. just a pleasure to look at. Because you took care to make your room a treat for the eyes, it reflects the beauty that shows up in your photo work.
This is also very true for both sports and wildlife photography, but with wildlife it's more important to get to "eye level" than just low. However with sports, getting low is great for creating that heroic character aspect to a big play or certain athlete, like the the quarterback in football or a diving goalie in soccer. I'm often one of the only photographers at certain events getting either low, or changing my background by moving a few feet to the left or right of where the other shooters are. People often ask me for tips and these are definitely a couple of the big ones. With wildlife it's often best to be at eye-level, but if you have to it's better to be low than be above the animal.
Excellent advise and compliments similar advise given by William Patino on using a wide angle lens in landscape photography where he talks about not just getting low but pointing the camera down to use the natural distortion in wide angle lens to not only exaggerate the foreground but also higher details in the background. I had watched it this morning and your video helps bring it all together.
I watched this video and took the advice seriously. After revisiting a location where I was disappointed with the image I was able to capture I thought about what was in front of me, found a couple of rocks to use as foreground, got down and close and my goodness, what a change. More practice required for sure but I now feel that I am on the right track. Great advice and so glad I found this.
Mark! This video not only contains marvelous landscape photography but very powerful description, it's really very impressive. Congrats on such a nice work.
The composition of your talk-to-the-camera videos is dope. I realised it long ago. It looks like a cosy room in a warm house in the middle of the woods in cold winter. A nice place in a children's story.
I had to pause this video at 1:00 because I actually said Yeah!! this is me in my current state. I've looked at so many rules and techniques that I get on a site and I don't even know what to photograph. I know what my subject is but then I start scrambling looking for lines and foreground and depth and color and this and that.....
Best advice I got from a mentor photographer and friend was to let myself get consumed/absorbed by my subject... I remember being fascinated with waves creating patterns of bubbles on the shore. Yes, I was low. The cool patterns kept coming and changing and I was completely absorbed taking photos... then realized I had been doing this for almost 3 hours. Time flew while I was having fun and the results were amazing. Thank you for sharing you very useful tips on getting low. Best!
Thanks for the video Mark. Great shots/examples. I did much the same thing as you when I started landscape photography. I work as a studio photographer/graphic designer. When I started taking landscape shots, I became fascinated with applying graphic design principles of composition to my photos. I studied and studied. The first time I used an ultra wide angle... wow, I was just thrilled at this tool. Most people take photos at head height. It's so important to explore different points of view. Getting low is so important. Thanks Mark.
Thank you so much. I went back to find your video as I took your advice on getting low and took pics from eye, hip, and below knee positions and this video is really changed my photography results
Thank you so much. That is exactly what happened to me with my landscape photography. I used to just got out and snap away but the more I learn (going through exactly the same process) the more I blank out. Thank you for this tip ... awesome. I can’t wait to get out there and try it. I love your videos Mark, thank you again.
“The more I researched composition, the worse my composition got” Analysis paralysis. I can relate! “Find your focal point and get low.” + situations where it works best - I keep forgetting. Very helpful video as always. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your experience and for your work creating the videos Mark! Another reason for getting low is that it is not the normal viewpoint / perspective so it adds some additional interest for the viewer
I agree wholeheartedly. I know people that are so intent on perfecting the rule of thirds, leading lines etc, that they forget about composing and you are absolutely correct, getting down low does it.
I watched the video twice not because it wasnt clear because it was soo imformative I dont want to miss anything. As always, I love your style of videos. again, pictures are simply beautful . take care
You just blew my freaking mind. Best thing I learned was not just rules of third but where that came from and all the different patterns. And now with this, my pictures are going to be amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Mark, I just recently discovered your youtube channel and website. I like the way you explain your subject matter in terms that this 75 year old man can understand. Keep up the good work. I look forward to learning a few things from you. Semper Fi, Joe W.
Great examples of this concept! The best advice I've ever been given was to pay attention to how the light hits your subject. That will determine how you photograph it.
@@ehaitem firstly it is called human interaction, although this is over a digital medium. Secondly, in that "long period" of "nothingness" there are many little pieces of gold nuggets. Thirdly, there always come some personal part of the "story teller" to the serface, and that creates a connection. And so many more things. Do you make love just for the climax?
@@LeonKotze70 You forgot the fact that TH-cam pays more for 10-15 minuts videos. Content creators stretch their videos for this reason. A 2 minutes videos does not generate income. Follow the money. Get a clue. Stop making analogies that have nothing to do with the original argument. I make love to make love, and i watch youtube to learn, not to get "human interaction".
@@ehaitem I agree with you, but just an fyi the original comment wasnt his advice in the video it was getting low...He then followed up with reasons and example. Such as getting details... I would suggest you speed up the video to x2 if you dont want to spend the 16 min.
@@ehaitem if you would've taken the 16 Minutes, you would've known that he didn't stretch ;) But ... Yeah, I do feel you. Someone has to actually take time and appreciate good content - so ... May you grow up with this in mind. Also, you do state things you cannot really prove (sure, you can prove that some TH-camr do this, but you simply cannot prove it for all). Also, Trey has said something completely different than what was said in the video (again, if you would've taken the two minutes, you would've known). And on top, you would've known that there was more than just one tip following with an example and showing it on the exact example. And if you're not here for the "human interaction" and just for learning, maybe YT is not the right place for you? Especially not TH-camr who clearly have a community and want to engage with it. I mean, sure, if you wanna "get the eye" for composition you can follow Trey's advice or brute force your way to it... But for some people it's just not the way to get a feeling for that - also, if you're doing it Trey's way, you're likely to fall into the trap of re-taking images that are taken all the time (so, you just go out and re-capture other people's art instead of improving on your own).
The other day I was shooting in the fog on a boardwalk that goes through a marsh. Eventually I decided to stand on the railing of the boardwalk and I was able to show how the boardwalk disappeared into the fog and it gave the shot more depth. So occasionally, getting high can really help. The shot reminded me of of the scene in the movie "the African Queen". Humphrey Bogart was meandering through the marsh trying to get his boat to the open water. To show how daunting the the trek through the marsh was the camera started out low and was slowly raised to reveal the massive size of the marsh. It was at that point the viewer could see what Bogart could not, he was so close to the open sea and had no idea because he was low in the marsh. So, the moral of the story is don't Bogart the perspective. 🤣
Sir Mark, I thought it was, I had one of those as a kid! I bought it so that I could listen to music while I mowed lawns! Those were good times! Mine was black & yellow as well, though I think mine was a paler shade of yellow. The ear buds back then we’re not all that great, they were round as I remember with a cheap foam covers & the buds tended to fall out. Audio has come along way!
Get low or get high is what I listened to...having a tall tripod with no centre column so I can get it really low or higher than my eye level if I want is really useful and gives different perspectives to what people normally see. The other advice I picked up is there are no absolute rules in photography!! :-)
Shoot wide, crop later. All zooming in does is crop and magnify in-camera, and content that falls outside the sensor or film plane is lost forever, as it is never captured. This is especially useful when shooting with smart phones with fixed lenses, as moving in too close ruins the perspective in many cases. Anywhere from about 5 to 8 megapixels after cropping should be plenty for all but the largest prints, viewed up close. Perspective isn't fixed in the digital output - it is largely determined by the print size - to - viewing distance ratio. The proper distance for viewing is the distance where the subtended angle of the subject is the same as that of the subject being shot with a normal lens. Anything else alters the perspective (whether this is good or bad, intended or not, is up to the photographer). With 18, 20, 24 or more megapixels, it is usually always a good idea to shoot a little wider, or from a little farther back if using a prime lens.
Yea, this has been one of the biggest things I understood about composition. Also, keeping things clean. Try to get out of the frame everything that's not relevant to the scene. Longer focal lengths can help with that sometimes.
Well done Mark! ... It is so ironic as your description of how to handle all of the rules and making sure you apply them correctly can sometimes draw a blank when you finally arrive at the location you want to capture. I am not sure why, but I started to shoot from a lower point of view recently and ever since, I think my landscape work has improved significantly. Then, I come across your video. I really like the way you detail out the best reasons WHY to shoot low as I have been struggling with landscape work for year. Thanks for the information and for the inspiration.
Steve Kunder Thanks Steve! Most of these examples weren’t focus stacked, but when I have something very close to my lens I’ll always focus stack it in that scenario.
Hey Mark. Great video as usual! You keep raising the bar and continue to set higher standards with your videos. And we subscribers are all the better for it. In the last image on tip #1 (“softball” cactus in the foreground), did you use focus stacking when you took that photo. Notwithstanding that, what is your advice on combining focus stacking with your advice on getting low? Thanks for your help and we certainly do appreciate your videos.
Thanks David! Really appreciate that! I always try to get the photo in one shot bu tin that example the cactus was so close to my lens that I had to focus stack it.
I belive the "grass" in the foreground of your Corona Arch image is actually the Mormon Tea plant (Ephedra sp.) Not trying to pick nits as much as educate, since you have been kind enough to try to educate me on landscape photography. This video was a good topic, well done.
I was just about to say.....get low. Doesn’t work all the time but in general it’s the best way to retain foreground interest, maximise the strength of the focal point or subject, and minimise the empty mid space in between. Which relates to the following: choose the focal point (usually a subject further away), select the best foreground to complement/lead to it, and then depending on whether the mid ground has any/no interest , work to make the most of the foreground and background/subject. Of course this assumes a classic 3 layered composition. Sometimes the focal point is in the middle section eg a lone tree backdropped by mountains with a path/rock/flora as foreground. There’s no single rule that works for everything and as you say, it can result in paralysis if you try to checklist all of the guidance rules. But getting low is the best starting point (I think)
“The more I researched composition, the worse my composition got” or the more I sturggle with it. Thank you for that video. Exactly my case! I think it is the experience that helps you choosing the right tool in the right situation. So I think besides get low, I would say get out, shoot and watch the pictures afterwards.
Thank you Mark!! Once again - great video, very useful, educational. You are geting better and better (as a lectuer) and giving more and more useful tips.
Hey Mark, another great video! Very informative especially breaking it down. That is one of the best things you do! In my experience, I sort of, did these techniques, but not having a clue that I was or why. LOL. Now that we have these tools, this will help a lot. Funny how you said to get low. Well I am also a drone photographer. To get a reflection of the clouds in the lake one day, I had to get VERY high. Like 395 feet. Turned out to be one of my best. That said, however, I never would have thought that getting low like you just taught us would be SO effective. Bad weather today, cannot wait to go out and put this to use. Thanks again Mark
Also, I use a super wide angle a lot in my photography and the best advice I heard for that situation is to "get close to your focal point" it's tempting to just show everything you can with a super wide lens (sometimes this works) but sometimes you just need to get very close to a part of the composition.
Shooting at eye level is the what everybody sees and the same shot everyone else takes. As we walk around we see things at eye level and tend to shoot at eye level. Someone told me once to also take a shot holding the camera low and one holding it high to vary the perspective beyond the average human height. I once held the camera at knee level and shot up at my wife in front of the organ pipes at the God's Causeway in Northern Ireland. It's still one of my favorites.
The best advice I ever got was to shoot as often as you can and to not worry about making mistakes. That's how you learn. Thank you again for a really informative video. While watching this video I started to wonder about the opposite...getting high. I don't necessarily mean climbing a mountain , but maybe using a step ladder to get a little different perspective. What are your thoughts?
Glad to do it Peter! I’m a fan of any perspective that is outside of what we naturally see with our own eyes. I don’t often shoot eye, but I think it’s better then shooting at eye level most of the time.
i took my center stand out of my tripod and put my low mount in just to be able to get lower to the ground. just took a photo of a bridge near me using a puddle as a reflection and got a really nice shot
I can't say I agree much with the premise here. First, from your intro, those compositional "rules" are well worth experimenting with. It might be a bit confusing as to which ones (if any) will work in a given situation, but that's part of the learning process. As for getting low, that is great in the right circumstance, but it's hardly in the category of "best advice". Get the perspective you need to create the effect you want, and don't be afraid to get low...or high. Then again, perhaps I'm jaded: I live on the prairies where "low" is the default, and often the only way to get separation from the foreground and the distant background is a little height.
Yeah, getting low or changing perspective can be just trying to be different. One of the best examples of being different is the reason Fan Ho explained why he preferred shooting in B&W. It is different from the normal way (in color) we see the world. So, to a small animal or a child, images taking from getting low aren't that much a difference in their way of seeing the world. 😊
The best advice I have ever received was regarding editing. Someone told me that it should be slight, so that the photograph will remain a photograph and not turn into a painting like image.
Mark, this was my first viewing of one of your videos, I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and order of learning. And yes I learned ‘The Landscape Five, Bring it Alive’ 👏👍, thanks Mark.
I have to say it again, but when I watch your videos it feels like you're reading my mind or we've walked in the same footsteps. As a very analytical person who struggles with composition, I too tried to consume everything about it and became overwhelmed. I enjoyed your suggestion about getting low and have actually used it to some success so I know what you're talking about. I did have a funny photo experience once. I was on the Oregon coast and I saw a weather beaten piece of driftwood in the sand. The wind had created an interesting pattern around it so I got down low and placed it in the foreground of my image. I got back home and was processing the photo when I noticed something. Zooming in on the driftwood I realized it wasn't what it first appeared. When I really got a good look at it I realized that it was a potato left over from someone's beach barbecue. It had been sitting out for so long and was worn by the weather that I thought it was a piece of wood. The image was ok but when I remember that it was a potato, I always get a laugh. One thing that helps me with my composition is to just try one thing. For example, take leading lines. If I go out in the field and spend the whole day just trying to make compositions with leading lines I tend to get into a groove and it sticks a bit better. If I do this for different things, but only one at a time, I realize that they then become tools that I can more easily select from when trying to compose a new image. Just like anything though, it takes practice and if you don't use it, you need to go back and refresh your training.
Steve, I really enjoyed watching your video on your favorite composition tip. It just makes so much sense. My question relates to the clarity of your images. They are tack sharp! Do you focus stack? Aside from camera settings, what is you favorite technique for achieving such sharp images?
Great video and information, Mark! I think that getting low and close goes hand and hand with focus stacking. Thanks for creating a sort of series! Cheers!
Thanks Mark. I really love your channel and look forward to every video you publish. You have lots of great practical advice and I love all the stuff you have scattered throughout the room or rather precisely placed :). I totally agree with you that when I come across a stunning setting and think about taking a picture of it, I freeze up and panic. I now have a simple beginning point: "Find your focal point and get low". Also, just a side note; I think you mean 'waves' instead of 'tide'; I'm sure you know that the tide doesn't come in and go out that fast and in such a small amount. Take care and stay healthy. I've always wanted to ask you why your clock is stopped at 7:50?
Thank you for this and several other of your videos. You explain things so well for me to understand. This particular video really taught me a lot about composition and allowed me to easily see what I have done wrong in past photos. It is very helpful and I'll be subscribing and viewing more.
Thanks for this, especially your admission that you just didn't know what to do with all of that composition adivce when you tried to put it into practice. I can relate to *exactly* the same thing and took it as a sign that I'm just never going to 'get it'. Well, maybe I won't(!) but maybe there's still hope for me if you had that same experience. I will use this advice next time I go out with my camera and tripod and see if something clicks over time and lots of exposures. Also, I love your calm and soft-spoken presentation and I'm very glad I found your channel.
I have been wanting to experiment with getting low. Safety will need to be foremost, as I want to capture the railroad tracks in one particular spot, here in town. Getting low should create an interesting shot as they go around the bend, next to the bluff's. Thanks for the help, Mark.
@@MarkDenneyPhoto I only discovered your channel a few days ago and have been doing a serious deep-dive on all your stuff. Very well done, I can see you put serious work into each video. Great, great stuff!
I had to pause the video at the point where you show your waterfall image to demonstrate texture. It's not a big roaring waterfall, but that image is sick. The white in the water and the green moss pop so much. Great shot.
What's the BEST photo advice you ever received?
Creativity is more important than technical knowledge.
TimMer1981 Oh I love that one!!
To stop zooming in on everything. The surroundings help tell the story, whether it is wildlife or landscapes.
Hard to say, but I agree that shooting from a different perspective is a great way to capture something fresh -- and shooting low is about the easiest. I heeded Brian Peterson's advice on this and began shooting low several years ago. Last summer, I even took it to the extreme and used his technique of lying on my back with my camera upside-down to get low enough for the shot I wanted. The sun was so bright I couldn't use the LCD screen.
Thanks for the tip about texture, one of those things I learned and forgot. I'll pay more attention now.
Keep it simple stupid and don't overthink the composition.
Good point - interestingly, as a viewer, in many cases it's not obvious that the viewpoint is low as opposed to the camera being tilted down. It would be interesting to compare some shots of the same view with images taken at different heights. Also, would be interested to know if you are focus stacking these images to get sharpness throughout the depth or just using small apertures.
I love your videos cuz you don't hide anything from us. You share and spread everything you know. Thanks Mark!
Compose in layers is in my opinion the best advice.
Great advice!
My favourite photography channel on TH-cam. I am not into a landscape photography to be honest, but the way Mark giving information is top-notch. No disturbing intros- straight to the subject. Maximum useful information per certain amount of time. Very clean english pronunciation which is attractive to the ear (especially for us - non-native english speakers). He paid so much attention even to the background (just look at those shelfs and lights and shadows behind him). Amazing approach. Thank you!
Great to hear you enjoyed it!
Hands down the best photography channel on the internet.
The power of a different perspective! We get so stuck at 'eye' level but whether we get down on the ground or just crouch down (as low as our knees will let us go :-) ) opens a whole new world. Love the foreground tips with a wide angle. I think of all the years of taking photos, with a crop sensor (Canon 70D) and not really understanding my wide angle wasn't really wide angle. Aargh. I'm looking forward to getting out and really exploring what I can do with a wide angle. loooow to the ground. Thank you
I started photographing about 5 years ago. I regularly go back to the old hard drives and it really shows how much I have improved but nothing compares to how much my game has changed since I found your channel. I had a vague idea of what composition but never really understood the concept of it, the rules of it. But your videos were an eye-opening for me, especially when you explain depth. Great video as always, Mark.
S133S This is music to my ears! Many thanks for taking the time to let me know!’
Hi Mark,
I know how much I appreciated positive feedback and I think you really deserve some!
I only discovered you recently, forgot your name but was so impressed by what I had seen that I searched for you for days before I rediscovered you.
I started photography at the age of 9 with my dad’s Zeiss icon which did not have a light meter or focusing mechanism. I therefore had to judge/measure the distance, decide on a shutter speed and aperture. I could only afford one postcard size black and white film, with 6 exposures, per week. I therefore got to know the basics really well. I am now 77 years of age and have always been a keen photographer, as a university student I even operated as a professional photographer.
Your presentation has been the best by a margin: I have learnt a lot from you and on the occasions that I don’t learn anything new, it reinforces principles and makes me think more analytically.
Thank you!
Willem von Willich (South Africa)
Thank so much for the amazing comment Willem! Yes, positive feedback feels amazing so a big thanks to you friend for that!
I love the way you lighted the room you're sitting in .. just a pleasure to look at. Because you took care to make your room a treat for the eyes, it reflects the beauty that shows up in your photo work.
This is also very true for both sports and wildlife photography, but with wildlife it's more important to get to "eye level" than just low. However with sports, getting low is great for creating that heroic character aspect to a big play or certain athlete, like the the quarterback in football or a diving goalie in soccer. I'm often one of the only photographers at certain events getting either low, or changing my background by moving a few feet to the left or right of where the other shooters are. People often ask me for tips and these are definitely a couple of the big ones. With wildlife it's often best to be at eye-level, but if you have to it's better to be low than be above the animal.
Excellent advise and compliments similar advise given by William Patino on using a wide angle lens in landscape photography where he talks about not just getting low but pointing the camera down to use the natural distortion in wide angle lens to not only exaggerate the foreground but also higher details in the background. I had watched it this morning and your video helps bring it all together.
I watched this video and took the advice seriously. After revisiting a location where I was disappointed with the image I was able to capture I thought about what was in front of me, found a couple of rocks to use as foreground, got down and close and my goodness, what a change. More practice required for sure but I now feel that I am on the right track. Great advice and so glad I found this.
Thanks so much Iain!
Mark! This video not only contains marvelous landscape photography but very powerful description, it's really very impressive. Congrats on such a nice work.
The composition of your talk-to-the-camera videos is dope. I realised it long ago. It looks like a cosy room in a warm house in the middle of the woods in cold winter. A nice place in a children's story.
Thanks Albert! Glad you enjoyed it!
I had to pause this video at 1:00 because I actually said Yeah!! this is me in my current state. I've looked at so many rules and techniques that I get on a site and I don't even know what to photograph. I know what my subject is but then I start scrambling looking for lines and foreground and depth and color and this and that.....
How true this is!!
Have to say.. I follow a lot of photographers on YT.. but I by far learn the most from your channel... keep up the great work!! Keep em’ coming !!!
Thanks Brian! Great to hear it!
Hey, what a great video. Keep up the superb work! I look forward to your next video.
Stephen Milner Much appreciated Stephen - thank you!
Best advice I got from a mentor photographer and friend was to let myself get consumed/absorbed by my subject... I remember being fascinated with waves creating patterns of bubbles on the shore. Yes, I was low. The cool patterns kept coming and changing and I was completely absorbed taking photos... then realized I had been doing this for almost 3 hours. Time flew while I was having fun and the results were amazing. Thank you for sharing you very useful tips on getting low. Best!
Always happy to do it and thanks for sharing your story - thats great!
Hey Mark, really appreciate all the examples you provide! It helps visualize each piece of info
Anthony Savarese Really glad to hear it! Thanks Anthony!
Wow! Really valuable advice. Subscribed!
Thanks so much!
Bonus points for the Sony Sports Walkman on the desk.
Thanks for the video Mark. Great shots/examples. I did much the same thing as you when I started landscape photography. I work as a studio photographer/graphic designer. When I started taking landscape shots, I became fascinated with applying graphic design principles of composition to my photos. I studied and studied. The first time I used an ultra wide angle... wow, I was just thrilled at this tool. Most people take photos at head height. It's so important to explore different points of view. Getting low is so important. Thanks Mark.
Glad to do it Peter and many thanks to you for checking it out!
Thank you so much. I went back to find your video as I took your advice on getting low and took pics from eye, hip, and below knee positions and this video is really changed my photography results
Thank you so much. That is exactly what happened to me with my landscape photography. I used to just got out and snap away but the more I learn (going through exactly the same process) the more I blank out. Thank you for this tip ... awesome. I can’t wait to get out there and try it. I love your videos Mark, thank you again.
Thanks so much - really appreciate that!
Great video Mark. The best advice I got about composition was to learn them all, then, learn how to break them all.
“The more I researched composition, the worse my composition got” Analysis paralysis. I can relate! “Find your focal point and get low.” + situations where it works best - I keep forgetting. Very helpful video as always. Thanks.
Michele Bullock Awesome to hear - thanks Michele!
Thanks for sharing your experience and for your work creating the videos Mark! Another reason for getting low is that it is not the normal viewpoint / perspective so it adds some additional interest for the viewer
Thank you Wayne! That’s another great point!
I agree wholeheartedly. I know people that are so intent on perfecting the rule of thirds, leading lines etc, that they forget about composing and you are absolutely correct, getting down low does it.
Thanks for checking out the video John!
I watched the video twice not because it wasnt clear because it was soo imformative I dont want to miss anything. As always, I love your style of videos. again, pictures are simply beautful . take care
Many thanks to you - really appreciate it!
Totally agree, getting low works really good in most of the occasions.
You just blew my freaking mind. Best thing I learned was not just rules of third but where that came from and all the different patterns. And now with this, my pictures are going to be amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Dirt Diggler Metal Detecting Glad to do it and happy to hear to enjoyed it!
Hi Mark, I just recently discovered your youtube channel and website. I like the way you explain your subject matter in terms that this 75 year old man can understand. Keep up the good work. I look forward to learning a few things from you. Semper Fi, Joe W.
Excellent, clear, and intuitive advice. For a notch over beginner, this was beautifully presented. Thanks so much for this.
Go Low - my new mantra but conditioned on these old knees. Tks Mark great lesson.
Great examples of this concept! The best advice I've ever been given was to pay attention to how the light hits your subject. That will determine how you photograph it.
Thanks Phillip! Appreciate you sharing that great advice as well!
Best photo advice: Look at art books, go to art galleries and get the "eye" for composition.
Thanks. You save me 16 minutes. I don't get why these simple tips have to be too long!
@@ehaitem firstly it is called human interaction, although this is over a digital medium.
Secondly, in that "long period" of "nothingness" there are many little pieces of gold nuggets.
Thirdly, there always come some personal part of the "story teller" to the serface, and that creates a connection.
And so many more things.
Do you make love just for the climax?
@@LeonKotze70
You forgot the fact that TH-cam pays more for 10-15 minuts videos. Content creators stretch their videos for this reason. A 2 minutes videos does not generate income. Follow the money. Get a clue. Stop making analogies that have nothing to do with the original argument. I make love to make love, and i watch youtube to learn, not to get "human interaction".
@@ehaitem I agree with you, but just an fyi the original comment wasnt his advice in the video it was getting low...He then followed up with reasons and example. Such as getting details... I would suggest you speed up the video to x2 if you dont want to spend the 16 min.
@@ehaitem if you would've taken the 16 Minutes, you would've known that he didn't stretch ;)
But ... Yeah, I do feel you. Someone has to actually take time and appreciate good content - so ... May you grow up with this in mind.
Also, you do state things you cannot really prove (sure, you can prove that some TH-camr do this, but you simply cannot prove it for all). Also, Trey has said something completely different than what was said in the video (again, if you would've taken the two minutes, you would've known). And on top, you would've known that there was more than just one tip following with an example and showing it on the exact example.
And if you're not here for the "human interaction" and just for learning, maybe YT is not the right place for you?
Especially not TH-camr who clearly have a community and want to engage with it.
I mean, sure, if you wanna "get the eye" for composition you can follow Trey's advice or brute force your way to it... But for some people it's just not the way to get a feeling for that - also, if you're doing it Trey's way, you're likely to fall into the trap of re-taking images that are taken all the time (so, you just go out and re-capture other people's art instead of improving on your own).
An excellent reminder Mark. Time to go back through my library and see where I have used this and to what effect.
My underwater shots are always better when I get low. Sometimes more difficult to do, but almost always pays off. Thanks Mark.
The best advice for abstract photography is “get high”
😂😂
Lol
This isnt even untrue :D
The other day I was shooting in the fog on a boardwalk that goes through a marsh. Eventually I decided to stand on the railing of the boardwalk and I was able to show how the boardwalk disappeared into the fog and it gave the shot more depth. So occasionally, getting high can really help. The shot reminded me of of the scene in the movie "the African Queen". Humphrey Bogart was meandering through the marsh trying to get his boat to the open water. To show how daunting the the trek through the marsh was the camera started out low and was slowly raised to reveal the massive size of the marsh. It was at that point the viewer could see what Bogart could not, he was so close to the open sea and had no idea because he was low in the marsh. So, the moral of the story is don't Bogart the perspective. 🤣
One time I was drilled on the use of DMX for studio lighting, and I thought they said DXM.
Is that a black yellow Sony Walkman on the table to your left? Fun video, thanks!
Drew Robertson Thanks Drew! Yep - indeed it is👍
Sir Mark, I thought it was, I had one of those as a kid! I bought it so that I could listen to music while I mowed lawns! Those were good times! Mine was black & yellow as well, though I think mine was a paler shade of yellow. The ear buds back then we’re not all that great, they were round as I remember with a cheap foam covers & the buds tended to fall out. Audio has come along way!
I found that getting low is the best advice I've received. I use it all the time.
Thank you Mark for all of the time that you put into making your videos! Your channel is fun to watch and extremely informative!!!!
Kyle Gifford Really appreciate that Kyle!
Get low or get high is what I listened to...having a tall tripod with no centre column so I can get it really low or higher than my eye level if I want is really useful and gives different perspectives to what people normally see. The other advice I picked up is there are no absolute rules in photography!! :-)
Shoot wide, crop later. All zooming in does is crop and magnify in-camera, and content that falls outside the sensor or film plane is lost forever, as it is never captured. This is especially useful when shooting with smart phones with fixed lenses, as moving in too close ruins the perspective in many cases. Anywhere from about 5 to 8 megapixels after cropping should be plenty for all but the largest prints, viewed up close. Perspective isn't fixed in the digital output - it is largely determined by the print size - to - viewing distance ratio. The proper distance for viewing is the distance where the subtended angle of the subject is the same as that of the subject being shot with a normal lens. Anything else alters the perspective (whether this is good or bad, intended or not, is up to the photographer). With 18, 20, 24 or more megapixels, it is usually always a good idea to shoot a little wider, or from a little farther back if using a prime lens.
Yea, this has been one of the biggest things I understood about composition. Also, keeping things clean. Try to get out of the frame everything that's not relevant to the scene. Longer focal lengths can help with that sometimes.
Loved the video. No crazy antics, just the facts! That’s what I needed the most! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another wonderful Video Mark!! Great advice.
Thanks Vito!
What a perfect colored video! Love seeing a well lit up studio and color corrected right
Thanks so much! Glad to see it was noticeable!
Well done Mark! ... It is so ironic as your description of how to handle all of the rules and making sure you apply them correctly can sometimes draw a blank when you finally arrive at the location you want to capture. I am not sure why, but I started to shoot from a lower point of view recently and ever since, I think my landscape work has improved significantly.
Then, I come across your video. I really like the way you detail out the best reasons WHY to shoot low as I have been struggling with landscape work for year.
Thanks for the information and for the inspiration.
Great video , are you stacking in order to keep your foreground ad distance objects so sharp?
Steve Kunder Thanks Steve! Most of these examples weren’t focus stacked, but when I have something very close to my lens I’ll always focus stack it in that scenario.
This video makes me love the landscape photography again! Thanks
Hey Mark. Great video as usual! You keep raising the bar and continue to set higher standards with your videos. And we subscribers are all the better for it.
In the last image on tip #1 (“softball” cactus in the foreground), did you use focus stacking when you took that photo. Notwithstanding that, what is your advice on combining focus stacking with your advice on getting low?
Thanks for your help and we certainly do appreciate your videos.
Thanks David! Really appreciate that! I always try to get the photo in one shot bu tin that example the cactus was so close to my lens that I had to focus stack it.
I belive the "grass" in the foreground of your Corona Arch image is actually the Mormon Tea plant (Ephedra sp.) Not trying to pick nits as much as educate, since you have been kind enough to try to educate me on landscape photography. This video was a good topic, well done.
Your videos are always full of information. Thank you again for the great work...!!!
Thanks so much!
Loved the point on using the distortion in a wide angle lens. I had stopped using my wide angles because of it but hadnt considered using it artfully
I was just about to say.....get low. Doesn’t work all the time but in general it’s the best way to retain foreground interest, maximise the strength of the focal point or subject, and minimise the empty mid space in between. Which relates to the following: choose the focal point (usually a subject further away), select the best foreground to complement/lead to it, and then depending on whether the mid ground has any/no interest , work to make the most of the foreground and background/subject. Of course this assumes a classic 3 layered composition. Sometimes the focal point is in the middle section eg a lone tree backdropped by mountains with a path/rock/flora as foreground. There’s no single rule that works for everything and as you say, it can result in paralysis if you try to checklist all of the guidance rules. But getting low is the best starting point (I think)
Love this fantastic advice and as always, another wonderful video. Thank you Mark!
Alex Solon Thanks Alex!!
“The more I researched composition, the worse my composition got” or the more I sturggle with it. Thank you for that video. Exactly my case! I think it is the experience that helps you choosing the right tool in the right situation. So I think besides get low, I would say get out, shoot and watch the pictures afterwards.
Thank you Mark!! Once again - great video, very useful, educational. You are geting better and better (as a lectuer) and giving more and more useful tips.
Your videos are soooo great! They help so much
Great to hear - thank you!
Another great advice and wonderful presentation. You are now my favorite TH-camr. Your presentations are calm, well-structured and without gimmicks.
Hey Mark, another great video! Very informative especially breaking it down. That is one of the best things you do! In my experience, I sort of, did these techniques, but not having a clue that I was or why. LOL. Now that we have these tools, this will help a lot. Funny how you said to get low. Well I am also a drone photographer. To get a reflection of the clouds in the lake one day, I had to get VERY high. Like 395 feet. Turned out to be one of my best. That said, however, I never would have thought that getting low like you just taught us would be SO effective. Bad weather today, cannot wait to go out and put this to use. Thanks again Mark
Watched this simple piece of advice yesterday & tried it out today..love it, what a difference. Thanks.
Great to hear it George!
Also, I use a super wide angle a lot in my photography and the best advice I heard for that situation is to "get close to your focal point" it's tempting to just show everything you can with a super wide lens (sometimes this works) but sometimes you just need to get very close to a part of the composition.
Shooting at eye level is the what everybody sees and the same shot everyone else takes. As we walk around we see things at eye level and tend to shoot at eye level. Someone told me once to also take a shot holding the camera low and one holding it high to vary the perspective beyond the average human height. I once held the camera at knee level and shot up at my wife in front of the organ pipes at the God's Causeway in Northern Ireland. It's still one of my favorites.
Great stuff! Yes, depth; which also presents MULTIPLE subjects. Many subjects, a primary and significant secondary subjects. Not merely "elements".
Thanks Matt! Glad ya enjoyed it!
The best advice I ever got was to shoot as often as you can and to not worry about making mistakes. That's how you learn. Thank you again for a really informative video. While watching this video I started to wonder about the opposite...getting high. I don't necessarily mean climbing a mountain , but maybe using a step ladder to get a little different perspective. What are your thoughts?
Glad to do it Peter! I’m a fan of any perspective that is outside of what we naturally see with our own eyes. I don’t often shoot eye, but I think it’s better then shooting at eye level most of the time.
Well another pice of kit to carry on photo trip a Ladder;-)
Great advise as always Mark. Thanks a ton.
Thanks so much!
Mark, thanks for sharing. Another one to add into the library I have of keepers.
Always happy to do it Dave and many thanks to you for checking out this weeks video!
The platypod is great for getting low. Great information, thank you Mark!
I'm going to have check one of those out!
i took my center stand out of my tripod and put my low mount in just to be able to get lower to the ground. just took a photo of a bridge near me using a puddle as a reflection and got a really nice shot
I removed the center column from one of my tripods as well to do the same thing.
Fantastic! I am loving your videos. Exactly what I am needing on my learning journey. Thank you from Australia 😁
Great content. I once had had a kodak 110 with a slide out flash. Very cool to see one again.
Thanks so much!
I can't say I agree much with the premise here. First, from your intro, those compositional "rules" are well worth experimenting with. It might be a bit confusing as to which ones (if any) will work in a given situation, but that's part of the learning process. As for getting low, that is great in the right circumstance, but it's hardly in the category of "best advice". Get the perspective you need to create the effect you want, and don't be afraid to get low...or high. Then again, perhaps I'm jaded: I live on the prairies where "low" is the default, and often the only way to get separation from the foreground and the distant background is a little height.
Yeah, getting low or changing perspective can be just trying to be different. One of the best examples of being different is the reason Fan Ho explained why he preferred shooting in B&W. It is different from the normal way (in color) we see the world. So, to a small animal or a child, images taking from getting low aren't that much a difference in their way of seeing the world. 😊
The best advice I have ever received was regarding editing. Someone told me that it should be slight, so that the photograph will remain a photograph and not turn into a painting like image.
Seham Alawadhi I used to have difficulty with that... hahaha... 👍
Mark, this was my first viewing of one of your videos, I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and order of learning. And yes I learned ‘The Landscape Five, Bring it Alive’ 👏👍, thanks Mark.
Thanks for checking out the video Andrew!
Another great video Mark, I always enjoy you content , your pointers and advice have been a great resource for improving my photography 👊🏼 🙏🏻
This is great to hear Matt - thanks for letting me know!
Great information thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Many thanks for watching Diane!
I have to say it again, but when I watch your videos it feels like you're reading my mind or we've walked in the same footsteps. As a very analytical person who struggles with composition, I too tried to consume everything about it and became overwhelmed. I enjoyed your suggestion about getting low and have actually used it to some success so I know what you're talking about. I did have a funny photo experience once. I was on the Oregon coast and I saw a weather beaten piece of driftwood in the sand. The wind had created an interesting pattern around it so I got down low and placed it in the foreground of my image. I got back home and was processing the photo when I noticed something. Zooming in on the driftwood I realized it wasn't what it first appeared. When I really got a good look at it I realized that it was a potato left over from someone's beach barbecue. It had been sitting out for so long and was worn by the weather that I thought it was a piece of wood. The image was ok but when I remember that it was a potato, I always get a laugh.
One thing that helps me with my composition is to just try one thing. For example, take leading lines. If I go out in the field and spend the whole day just trying to make compositions with leading lines I tend to get into a groove and it sticks a bit better. If I do this for different things, but only one at a time, I realize that they then become tools that I can more easily select from when trying to compose a new image. Just like anything though, it takes practice and if you don't use it, you need to go back and refresh your training.
So enjoyed this! Thanks, Mark!
Don Hendricks Thank you Don!
Thank you as always for the advise and the way you explained it.
Great video Mark!
Appreciate ya Sarah - thank you!
Steve, I really enjoyed watching your video on your favorite composition tip. It just makes so much sense. My question relates to the clarity of your images. They are tack sharp! Do you focus stack? Aside from camera settings, what is you favorite technique for achieving such sharp images?
Great tutorial on composition Mark. Will keep this advice at the top of my composition rules.
Many thanks John!
Most people shoot eye level but not low and high level. When it comes to details definitely low level looks good. Thanks for sharing.
Glad to do it and thanks for checking it out George!
Great advice. Your images are fantastic and I like the small tripod you use. Thanks for this tutorial. Very helpful!
Thanks so much Melissa!
Great video and information, Mark! I think that getting low and close goes hand and hand with focus stacking. Thanks for creating a sort of series!
Cheers!
Glad to do it and thanks for checking out the video!
Mark, you inspire me in so many ways!
Thanks so much Dinesh!
I really love your channel man....your tips helped me a lot....thank you!!
Cool 110 camera and Walkman on your desk! Nice touch.
Thanks Mark. I really love your channel and look forward to every video you publish. You have lots of great practical advice and I love all the stuff you have scattered throughout the room or rather precisely placed :). I totally agree with you that when I come across a stunning setting and think about taking a picture of it, I freeze up and panic. I now have a simple beginning point: "Find your focal point and get low". Also, just a side note; I think you mean 'waves' instead of 'tide'; I'm sure you know that the tide doesn't come in and go out that fast and in such a small amount. Take care and stay healthy. I've always wanted to ask you why your clock is stopped at 7:50?
Thanks so much Mary! It’s great to hear you enjoy the videos👍 Yep, I met the waves🤦♂️
Thank you for this and several other of your videos. You explain things so well for me to understand. This particular video really taught me a lot about composition and allowed me to easily see what I have done wrong in past photos. It is very helpful and I'll be subscribing and viewing more.
Very useful tips for enhancing photography - "get low" and "when to". Thanks Mark, love your crisp content.
Thanks so much!
Thanks for this, especially your admission that you just didn't know what to do with all of that composition adivce when you tried to put it into practice. I can relate to *exactly* the same thing and took it as a sign that I'm just never going to 'get it'. Well, maybe I won't(!) but maybe there's still hope for me if you had that same experience. I will use this advice next time I go out with my camera and tripod and see if something clicks over time and lots of exposures. Also, I love your calm and soft-spoken presentation and I'm very glad I found your channel.
I have been wanting to experiment with getting low. Safety will need to be foremost, as I want to capture the railroad tracks in one particular spot, here in town. Getting low should create an interesting shot as they go around the bend, next to the bluff's. Thanks for the help, Mark.
Amazing tips, mahalo! And props for the solid pronounciation of Haleakala! 🤙🏼🤙🏼
Excellent video
B C Thanks so much!
@@MarkDenneyPhoto I only discovered your channel a few days ago and have been doing a serious deep-dive on all your stuff. Very well done, I can see you put serious work into each video. Great, great stuff!
I had to pause the video at the point where you show your waterfall image to demonstrate texture. It's not a big roaring waterfall, but that image is sick. The white in the water and the green moss pop so much. Great shot.
Thanks so much! It's one of my favorites from last year.
Super helpful. Thanks, Mark!!!
Thanks Andrew!